Dancing Moonlight
by Emerald Sage
Summary: A surprise is waiting for her on the night of the Black and White Masquerade Ball.  With her goddess-like features and the dress of her dreams, all that's missing this Valentine's Day, is the man she loves more than life itself.  fem!Harry  TMR/HP


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a little story for Valentine's Day, hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP.**

**WARNING: Fem! Harry, TMR/fem! HP**

_**Dancing Moonlight**_

She stared at all the girls in the Great Hall from her place at the Ravenclaw table. Her usually cold and guarded emerald eyes shone with loneliness and sadness, and instead of acting like the pureblood she was taught to act like, she was slouching slightly, and showing more emotions than she was supposed to. Of course, these things were only visible to people who knew her well.

She sighed and sat straighter. What would Sirius say if he saw her now? Her uncle had taught her to be the perfect pureblood heiress, and told her to use every ounce of her control to appear normal in the eye of Hogwarts' occupants.

Her blue and bronze trimmed robes accentuated her curves, and she wore in-style muggle teenage clothes under them. Her knee-high stockings and black boots were comfortable and fashionable in both worlds. Her curly midnight hair was spilled down her back, one curl falling in front of her brilliant emerald eyes, and her tanned skin shone. Her full, blood red lips were tugged down in the beginnings of a frown, not that she would ever show such emotion around people she didn't know. Her long inky lashes half hid her luminous emerald eyes. Her tie was loosened and the long sleeve, button down white blouse was rolled to her elbows.

But enough of that, back to her problem.

It was Valentine's Day, and since the day of Love fell on a Friday, the Headmaster had decided to give the students a day off and scheduled a Black and White Masquerade Ball. Students were given the day to go to Hogsmede to buy dresses or suits or dress robes if they wished. If students had a significant other that was not in school, they were allowed to invite them to the ball, no matter which side of the war or how highly ranked. For today, Hogwarts was a neutral ground.

It was all exciting, but seventeen year old Acacia (Casey) Maria Isabella Potter-Black had a dilemma.

She was depressed because she knew if she brought anyone into the castle, she and her guest would be highly scrutinized, despite the fact that Hogwarts was neutral tonight. She was sinking further into a depressed state when she realized all the couples exchanging valentines, chocolates, and roses in the Great Hall. She turned her eyes towards her empty golden plate, feeling a wave of sadness and longing overwhelm her.

She missed her lover.

Swiftly, but gracefully standing from her seat, she walked out of the hall, knowing everyone was so caught up in the drama of Valentine's day to notice her leaving alone. As she walked down the sunlit halls, she thought of her lover. She wished he could be here tonight, she hadn't seen him since the summer holidays. She longed to kiss him, to run her hands through his dark chocolate brown hair, to take comfort in his embrace, to not worry over the war…only the two of them existed during their time together.

She sighed as she brought herself out of her thoughts. She had to go down to Hogsmede to find her outfit for the masquerade. Perhaps she would dance with a few others tonight, it would look odd if she showed up but didn't dance. Perhaps if she imagined it was _him_ she was dancing with…perhaps then the night would seem so much sweeter.

_**Dancing Moonlight**_

She pulled her coat around her tightly. She had decided to go into Hogsmede wearing muggle clothes, and so she was wearing a pair of skinny black jeans, a loose dark pink t-shirt that said _Sweet 3_ on it in a white cursive, a pair of tall, dark black boots, and a black North Face jacket. The jacket was one her lover had bought her when they vacationed in America during the summer. It was quite warm, and put to good use as the light snow fell.

She would have to apparated to muggle London to buy the dress she wanted. Oh, that dress had been beautiful. She had been wandering the streets of central London when she had found a unique shop that seemed to have been there for a long time, and out of sheer curiosity, she had wandered inside.

An old lady had met her at the door, and asked her what she was looking for. She had told the old woman that she was curious and wandered in. The only response the lady had was to smile broadly. The old lady gave her the once over, which was slightly creepy in her opinion, and asked her to follow her. Wand drawn discretely, and not in view of the woman, she followed to try and satisfy her insatiable curiosity. When they reached the back of the shop, she had gasped.

In the very back, where no one ever went, was the most gorgeous black dress she had ever seen. It was an hourglass shape, and it was floor length with a silver design that went up diagonally from the right bottom corner to the top left strap, though it didn't restrict movement. It was a single strap dress, with the strap on the left. The old lady insisted she try it on, and she did so.

It seemed as if the dress was made for her. The material it was made with was as light as air, but definitely there. It felt slightly like her invisibility cloak, it was softer than silk, and fell around her in gorgeous waves. It was tight around her upper body and the waist, but then it flowed outward, and down. The old woman brought a pair of black formal sandals with straps that wound up her leg to mid-calf. She slipped into them as if she did so every day. The woman removed the lace ribbon holding her hair up, and let it fall in silky waves around her, a single curl falling in her face. A black chocker with a silver snake focus was gently pulled around her neck, and two silver bracelets were lipped onto her right wrist. A single silver circlet was gently settled on her head, the one curl falling in front of it, keeping the rest of her hair back. When she stepped in front of the mirror, she lifted a hand to her mouth to keep her from gasping.

Gone was the teenage pop-princess, the Light's icon, the Gryffindor Golden Girl. In the mirror across from her stood a young woman, just barely reaching adulthood, one who resembled a Greek divinity. Looking at the woman in the mirror, she couldn't hold back the sigh of content as she moved around in the dress. It seemed to have been made just for her.

Turning to the woman behind her, she saw the smile on the weathered old face. The woman had whispered to her that the dress she wore had been made years and years ago, so many centuries had passed since the dress had been made. And every time a curious girl would wander in the store, they would wander in the back, and every time the old woman had hoped she had finally found the person who would wear the divine dress. But every time, they would see nothing but the back of the store. Until she had come.

Drawing herself out of her memory, she apparated with careful precision. Arriving at the old woman's store, she went in quickly, and asked to purchase the dress and the accessories she had worn when she first tried it on, knowing the woman would remember. The woman smiled and reached behind the counter, drawing a dress carrier and three boxes. One was a shoebox, she noted. The second carried the bracelets and chocker. And the last one, the slimmest, carried the silver circlet that shone with the light of Diana herself. Touched, she thanked the old woman as she was escorted out of the store.

She shrunk her packages and carefully placed them in her pocket before she apparated away.

_**Dancing Moonlight**_

She sequestered herself in her personal room, given to her as Head Girl, while she plotted on how to do her hair. She hadn't the slightest idea as to why she wanted to look her best tonight, but something was nagging at her, that something wonderful would happen tonight. And so, she was driven to look her best. Sighing to herself, she walked to the shower in hopes of getting relaxed before the masquerade.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling something was going to happen tonight.

_**Dancing Moonlight**_

She was outside the Great Hall, and had just slipped on her onyx mask. It was beautiful, as it had several diamond inlaid in a pattern very similar to her dress. The pattern, like the dress, started from the bottom right and went diagonally to the top left. It had been sitting in the Black Family Vault, and when she had walked in, it had called out to her. She was wearing the dress the same way she had when she had first tried it on. This time, however, she wore cherry red lipstick, which brought out her full lips, and a hint of smoky eye-shadow with a touch of rosy blush. Silently she slipped in, and heads turned her way. She couldn't fault the boys for having their jaws open, she knew she looked otherworldly in this dress. The woman had told her that the dress had been commissioned for several purposes, this being one of them. Gracefully, she moved towards the punch table, watching as several people shook themselves out of their stupor and continued dancing with their partners. Leaning against the wall, she watched in slight longing as young men twirled out onto the center floor, leading their dates into an endless dance of grace and elegance.

"Not a fan of dancing, I take it?" an amused, velvety, and definitely _male_ voice asked from her left. She turned, not showing that she was surprised, and raised an eyebrow. The man next to her smiled, amusedly, and she sighed.

"I love to dance, really." She replied quietly, watching as the man raised a brow in question. "My partner isn't here."

"Oh?" he asked curiously, but she got the feeling he had expected that answer. "I thought Hogwarts was neutral ground tonight, why then, was he not able to come?" She stared at him.

"You're asking personal questions, you know." She informed him with a slight smile, and she couldn't help but recollect another important conversation that started the same way…, "Why should I answer them?" He grinned at her.

"Well, I'll ask you a question, and you can ask me one. It'll be fair that way." He said, and she laughed. He grinned as she did so.

"Oh, alright then. Go on, ask your question." She said, smiling slightly.

"Is your partner dark sided? Is that why he's not here?" he inquired. She looked at him, and then nodded slightly.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that." She said, the corners of her lips tugging upwards in a smile. "My turn. I've never seen you here at Hogwarts, have you studied here, if so, which class? And if not, where?" The man smirked slightly, the expression was eerily familiar.

"I graduated from Hogwarts, class of 1945." He responded, the smirk firmly on his face. She found herself smirking back at him, their exchange giving her a feeling of déjà-vu.

"You're ancient." She informed him with as straight a face she could muster, and burst out laughing when he scowled.

"My turn." He whispered, and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Are you enjoying the night, _ma petite __rusé__diable__._" She felt her breath catch at the French words. And then she grinned.

"Tom?" she asked, feeling completely stupid, but hoping it was him.

Instead of answering her, the man next to her threw up a notice-me-not charm and pulled her into a passionate kiss. When they pulled away, he grinned down at her.

"I couldn't let you be lonely on Valentine's Day, love." He informed her, and she grinned. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private." He suggested, before almost dragging her out of the castle towards the lakeside, her laughing all the way.

"I missed you so much." She whispered when they reached the lakeshore. He turned towards her, removing her mask and his own, revealing his intense crimson eyes. Eyes filled with love meant for her.

_Only for her._

She realized that they were dressed in a similar fashion, almost as if the two outfits had been created together. He noticed her confusion on the subject.

"I was following you today, to see where you were going. I was curious as to what shop you were looking at, you rarely go shopping as it is, and I walked to the back and found this. The old woman there helped me try it on, and showed me everything that went with it. It was almost as if it was…"

"Made for you." She whispered, completing his sentence. "Mine was the same, only I had seen it during the summer holidays." He looked bewildered for a split second before grinning, and holding out his hand for her to take.

"Would you like to dance?" she looked at him, and suddenly the music to one of her favorite Taylor Swift songs surrounded them. Smiling amusedly at him, she nodded, placing her hand in his. They danced a slow waltz, enjoying each other's company for the rest of the song, and the song after that, until they were too tired to dance anymore.

He conjured a blanket and laid it on the ground, pulling them down on top of it. As they watched the moon and the stars, content in each other's company, she finally was able to say what she had wanted to all day.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Tom." _I love you…_

"Happy Valentine's Day, Casey." _And I you._

_**Completed on: 9:52pm, Monday, February 14, 2011**_

_**Thanks guys, please review! And Happy Valentine's Day everyone!**_

_**Em =)**_


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